American Republican And Baltimore Daily Clipper

TRIBUTE OF RESPECT TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS DEAD.

The citizens of Cumberland held a public meeting at the Court House, on Wednesday evening last, for the purpose of devising measures for the honorable reception of the mortal remains of Major Ringgold, Lieut. Col. Watson and Capt. Ridgely, on their passage through Cumberland—Capt. J. Mason Maguire was called to the chair, Messrs. James C. Magraw and Daniel Blocher, Vice Presidents, and A. A. Hull Tuttle and William R. McCulley, Secretaries.

M. Topham Evans, Esq., addressed the meeting briefly, in his usual eloquent manner, upon the lives and many virtues of our deceased fellow-countrymen, and concluded by offering the following resolutions:

Whereas, it has pleased the God of Battles, in the exercise of his indisputable will, to deprive the United States of America as well as the State of Maryland of many of the brightest ornaments of the military profession, in the recent engagements between the American and the Mexican forces; and whereas, our own Maryland, mindful of the confidence of Lafayette and of Pulaski, and of the ancient splendor of her arms in the revolutionary struggle and in the war of 1812, has again marshalled her Line to confront death at the sacred call of the republic, and has yielded up to the mandate of patriotism the best and purest of her blood, freely offering the lives of Cross, of Ringgold, of Watson, of Ridgely, of Thomas, and of others, her sons, as sacrifices upon the altar of our common country; forbidding us to lament for those who sleep in their glory, and whose achievements are their proudest memorials in the hearts of their countrymen, whilst at the same time she decrees monuments and tablets, public observances and affectionate recollections to perpetuate for posterity that admiration which is due to their lives and death, and to hold out examples for the imitation of our children's children to remotest generations:

Therefore, resolved, That Allegany county, the frontier of Maryland, will be first to honor the reception of the relics of Watson, of Thomas, of Ridgely, and of Pearson, upon the earth which bore them, and which proudly declares of them, "they are my children."

That to carry out this purpose, a Chief Marshal be appointed, who, with a Committee of Reception, shall have in charge the arrangement of a public ceremonial of procession, and that they be authorised to confer with the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of York Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Staff of the Western Brigade of Maryland Militia, the Field and Company Officers of the 5th Reg't. M. M., the Officers of such uniformed corps as may be in the county, the Mayor and Councillors of Cumberland, the Division of the Sons of Temperance, the Fire Department, the German Benevolent Society, the Medical and Legal professions, and such other bodies, civil or military, as may feel disposed to unite in a procession.

That the Committee of Reception be authorised to communicate with the Military and Civil Authorities of the adjacent country, and to request their assistance in the ceremony.

That the Committee be authorised to open a correspondence with Mr. Mills, and ascertain the time when the remains may be expected.

That the different bodies named in the second resolution be requested to appoint subordinate Marshals to confer with the Chief Marshal.

That a general suspension of business be recommended during the continuance of the ceremony.

Upon motion, Col. C. M. Thurston was appointed Chief Marshal, and Messrs. M. Topham Evans, C. M. Thurston, T. J. McKaig, Wm. Weber and Geo. W. Clabaugh the Committee of Reception.